Use of beneficial fungi to control weeds, insect pests and plant pathogenic fungi.

The Strategic Institute Program will join and strengthen the resources at the Norwegian Crop Research Institute, in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Norway and NORDOX Industrier AS. This will enable the participants to provide viable alte rnatives to chemical pesticides in plant production. The results will be aimed to give an acceptable level on plant protection in organic, integrated and conventional farming. The program is interdisciplinary in that it focuses on obstacles that are commo n for the development of the use of beneficial fungi, regardless of the target organisms. The individual studies will focus on identifying potential beneficial fungal isolates, culturing techniques, selection of isolates with characteristics that allowthe m top survive and function in the field, formulation of the fungi to optimize their function as plant protection agents and production of commercial quantities of the fungi. The program will supplement and extend current knowledge and technical ability i n thefield of microbial control through post-doctoral and doctoral fellowship.